Out with the old, in with the new: Small mistake costs great deal of money

Last month I received a new, slightly used, car after my first car had been totaled.  The catch is… I didn’t have to spend a penny, and I couldn’t be more excited with how it all turned out.

My original car was a 2010 dark grey Prius.  A reliable, and extremely durable, hybrid – that’s what I was told.  However, within the first few months of owning the car, a small piece housed within the steering wheel had broken. Because I was no longer able to turn my steering wheel to a certain degree, I took the car to a mechanic.  

This mechanic company (I will not name it for privacy reasons) is family owned.   They have been in the mechanical business for generations, buying and selling newly repaired cars.  My dad worked for the company for more than three years, and recently quit due to moving.  

After about a week of waiting, the mechanic found the part needed to repair my car.  It had to be ordered and shipped to a Toyota car dealership.  I trusted the judgment of the mechanic working on my Prius, Carlos, and continued to patiently wait. 

I had assumed after two weeks of waiting, while receiving periodic updates from Toyota, that my car had been delivered safely from the mechanics to the dealership.  Boy, did I assume wrong.  On highway I-30, my Prius had been completely totaled during a hit and run.  

After hearing the news, two weeks after the wreck occurred, I freaked out.  I was aware that, to an extent, it was not the mechanic’s fault, though he was driving my car at the time.  Despite that fact, I was rightfully upset… borderline angry.  My car had been completely wrecked beyond repair, and there was absolutely nothing I could do about it.  

Three days later, on Sept. 26, we received a call from my dad saying that a new car, within a reasonable and comparable price range to the one that had been wrecked, would be completely paid for.  The money came from the pockets of the very same family-owned company that had originally taken my car in for fixing.  

I ended up with a 2013, red Kia Forte that has all the bells and whistles: a sun roof, Bluetooth, red stitching, and a spacious hatchback. The mechanic even added racing stripes as an added bonus.  I have to say, I was beyond excited for the upgrade, and very thankful for all that was done for me in the process.